Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 1009 - Six Hundred Twenty Four: Receiving the Flesh

Chapter 1009: Chapter Six Hundred Twenty Four: Receiving the Flesh

Silence reigned for the night, until the fourth quarter of the hour of Mao.

As the first rays of sunlight scattered across the endless yellow soil from the East, the rhythmic and resonant calls of the watchmen echoed throughout the city, breaking the dormancy of a whole night in Zhenxi Prefecture City, which began to stir back to life.

When Xu Yuan crawled off the bed, Li Junwu was sitting cross-legged on the inner side of the bed, draped in an ornate embroidered outer garment, cultivating.

Jia Yi, on the other hand, leaned against the window, the large yellow dog sleeping at her feet. Her face was serene, faintly watching the sparse passersby on the street, with an indiscernible tiredness below her eyelids.

For now, this Goddess’s cultivation had only reached Soul Condensation, and she was yet incapable of twelve-hour rotations.

Still, ever since Xu Yuan had lain down last night, she remained seated upright on the wooden stool without moving for the entire night.

Noticing his gaze, the girl from the Western Region immediately furrowed her brows, turning her icy stare back at him:

"What are you looking at?"

Xu Yuan got up and tidied his slightly messy inner shirt, pointing at the pale blue sky outside the room, and said:

"The day has broken, naturally I’m here to ask for the reply you’ve spent the night pondering."

At these words, Jia Yi let out a light snort, her crisp and chilling voice reminiscent of a silver bell:

"No matter what I have schemed in my heart, right now, aside from agreeing to cooperate with you first, do I have any other choice? Whether I collaborate with you or choose to backstab you after allying with a sect, either way, the Qilin Wolf must first be brought into the city."

While Xu Yuan retrieved a dark brown low table engraved with dragons and phoenixes from his Sumeru Ring and placed it in front of the bed, he chuckled lightly and remarked:

"You don’t hide your thoughts in the least."

"I despise idle chatter."

"What a coincidence—I hate it too. So I won’t waste words."

Xu Yuan threw three cushions onto the sides of the low table, sat down on one, and set up a small spirit-patterned stove on the surface of the table, speaking in a low voice:

"To guard against potential betrayal, I need to make some preparations."

With that, he placed a porcelain pot with blue floral designs containing Dragon Meat Soup upon the stove’s stand, speaking softly:

"You wouldn’t object to this, would you?"

"As a person of no standing, I suppose I don’t have the capital to oppose."

Jia Yi glanced at the movements of his hands as he fiddled with the porcelain pot, furrowing her brows: "If you intend to place restrictions, hurry up and do it, spare me the procrastination."

"Don’t rush."

Xu Yuan lifted his gaze to glance at her, continuing to tinker with breakfast as he spoke softly: "I just want to ask you a few questions."

Jia Yi frowned:

"What kind of questions?"

Xu Yuan spoke softly:

"About the Qilin Wolf. After all, if you choose to cooperate with me, sharing intelligence about the Qilin Wolf is naturally part of the deal."

The hand beneath Jia Yi’s sleeve clenched tightly for an instant before relaxing again:

"Very well."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan smiled:

"Before I ask, let me state this upfront: I will gauge your leanings based on the authenticity of your upcoming responses."

Leaning his head and partially bowing forward, he then activated the stove stand, watching as wisps of blue flames began licking the edges of the porcelain pot containing Dragon Soup, before fixing his gaze upon the girl’s eyes and smiling:

"I hope you’ll think carefully. If your information fails to align with what I have on my side, I might misunderstand that you’ve chosen the sect."

"And if I choose the sect, then what?"

"Then you’re useless to me, and I’d kill you outright."

"....." Jia Yi cast a sidelong glance at the woman meditating on the bed.

"....." Li Junwu slowly opened her eyes but remained silent.

"Hmph...."

With a soft snort, Jia Yi’s slightly rising chest beneath her voluminous robes steadied once more. She responded calmly:

"I understand. Ask your questions."

"Why does the Qilin Wolf have such a strong bond with the Goddess?"

"..."

Jia Yi was caught off guard that he would begin with such a sensitive topic.

The connection between the Qilin Wolf and the Goddess was a classified matter even among the Tatar Chao high-ups.

She fixed a faint gaze upon his delicate features for several breaths, but all she saw was that tranquil smile.

Taking a deep breath, Jia Yi spoke softly:

"The Goddess or Godchild... serves as the perfect vessel for the Qilin Wolf."

Glancing at the large yellow dog sleeping soundly at her feet, Xu Yuan chuckled faintly without comment.

Jia Yi’s words were likely true.

In the "Cangyuan Chronicles," much of the Goddess’s combat capabilities often relied on borrowing the Qilin Wolf’s strength.

This somewhat resembled the setup of a certain manga’s Crown Prince character.

Still, there remained significant differences.

For instance, the Qilin Wolf was not within her body but periodically sealed a portion of its power into her, available for her sudden explosions during critical moments.

Mulling this over, Xu Yuan continued his questioning:

"Then what is the purpose of the Qilin Wolf’s actions?"

Jia Yi responded briskly to this query:

"For the evolution of its essence."

"Evolution?"

Before Xu Yuan could speak, the voice of Li Junwu seated on the bed carried a trace of suspicion as it preceded him: "What kind of evolution?"

"The evolution of its intelligence."

Xu Yuan thought back to the intelligence about Ancient Beasts and the Bug Saint he had acquired from Mu Xingchen: "They possess lifespans so long as to be nearly infinite, yet their intelligence remains abysmally low, forcing them to act solely on biological instincts."

Taking this opportunity to subtly warn Jia Yi, Xu Yuan consolidated the information he held, carefully choosing his words to tread a narrow line between ambiguity and accuracy:

"Simply put, the Qilin Wolf desires to borrow the intelligence of the vessel. Because each time its powers are lent, the vessel’s physical constitution undergoes subtle alterations.

"As for whether this ultimately culminates in possession as a means to fulfill its evolution—well, that’s a question for our little Goddess here."

Listening to the words of this unfamiliar man, a faint unease cascaded through Jia Yi’s heart.

Initially, she had assumed he was bluffing, but his understanding of the Qilin Wolf appeared to surpass her expectations.

For a brief instant, her eyes flickered before settling into tranquility:

"The specifics, I do not know. After all, across generations of Goddesses and Godchildren, there has never been a definitive outcome."

"Is that so? Then I’ll choose to believe that for now."

Feigning depth with calculated intent, Xu Yuan turned his inquiry back:

"Third question: What is the relationship between the Qilin Wolf, the Bug Saint, and the Tatar People?"

"This is a question our little sister likely doesn’t have the answer to."

Even as Xu Yuan finished asking, a melodious and playful voice suddenly rang through the modest guest room.

When the three occupants regained their senses, they found that a young girl had already entered the room.

Her arrival was abrupt, bereft of warning, as if she had materialized out of thin air.

Rustle—

A flicker of caution and doubt crossed Jia Yi’s expression, the yellow dog which had been feigning slumber immediately sprang to its feet, and Li Junwu even drew her sword in alarm. However, upon noticing Xu Yuan’s unchanged demeanor, the two women paused, and began to assess the newcomer.

Clad in a form-fitting black gauze dress that caressed her graceful figure, her beauty seemed otherworldly, with the hint of a faint smile lingering on her radiant face.

Recognizing Tian Ye’s slightly familiar attire, Xu Yuan asked curiously:

"Arrived so early, even taking the trouble to change your outfit?"

At his words, Tian Ye spun gracefully before him, her voice laced with laughter:

"Tianyan said she didn’t want to come out lately, and I dislike Tianyan’s fashion, so I made myself a new outfit last night. Isn’t it pretty?"

Xu Yuan stroked his chin and chuckled:

"Lacks a certain charm."

At this, Tian Ye giggled and traced her fingers lightly over the subtle ripples of her dress, wholeheartedly agreeing:

"Heh, you’re right."

"Xu Yuan."

Li Junwu, listening to the banter between the two, felt an odd sensation stirring in her heart. Smiling faintly, she teased: "Your new flame?"

Considering that Tianyan was watching, Xu Yuan merely responded noncommittally with a nod, avoiding the topic altogether, as he continued addressing the earlier question:

"Regarding the question earlier, you said Jia Yi wouldn’t know the answer?"

"....." Li Junwu rolled her eyes in annoyance at his reaction.

Noticing this, Tian Ye momentarily turned her gaze to glance at the long-legged woman seated on the bed, before tilting her head toward Xu Yuan. Her radiant golden eyes shimmered with a peculiar glow as she responded:

"This matter is centuries old. If this little sister could understand all of it, that would be surprising."

Xu Yuan suppressed a faint surge of emotion in his eyes and asked:

"So, are you offering to answer this proactively?"

"Merely some scraps of news—it’s no harm sharing them with dear Changtian Brother~"

As she spoke, Tian Ye folded her hands behind her back, lowering herself to kneel beside him, leaning close with a breath fragrant as orchids:

"The Tatar People were once the vessels contested by the other two."